Vehicle

Abstract

To improve visibility of an image photographed by a camera when a license plate lamp is turned on, and to improve appearance around a license plate when the license plate lamp is turned off.SOLUTION: The vehicle includes a license plate 2, a license plate lamp 3 disposed above the license plate 2 so as to illuminate the license plate 2, and a camera 4 disposed above the license plate 2 and beside the license plate lamp 3, wherein a light-blocking member 5 for blocking light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 so as not to enter the camera 4 is provided between the camera 4 and the license plate lamp 3, and a driving device 6 for moving the light-blocking member 5 between a first state in which the light-blocking member 5 does not block the emitted light and a second state in which the light-blocking member 5 blocks the emitted light is provided.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 states that "a vehicle with a backup camera is provided above the vehicle's license plate with a backup camera 30 for viewing the rear of the vehicle when the vehicle is reversing, and a license lamp 40 for illuminating the license plate, and is provided with a decorative member 20 above the license plate that covers the backup camera 30 and license lamp 40 from behind, and in order to prevent the light from the license plate from reaching the backup camera 30 and causing overexposure in the image captured by the backup camera 30, the decorative member 20 is provided with a wall portion 24z that blocks the light from the license lamp 40 so that the light from the license lamp 40 does not shine on the lens 32 of the backup camera 30." [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-215814 A (Patent No. 6524395) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, there is a concern that "since the light-blocking range provided by the wall portion 24z of the decorative member 20 is fixed, the degree of freedom in the installation position of the backup camera 30 is reduced, and if the wall portion 24z is set to a minimum size in order to maintain the design around the license plate, sufficient light-blocking properties cannot be achieved."

[0005] In view of these circumstances, the present invention aims to provide a vehicle that can improve the visibility of the camera image when the license plate lamp is on, and that can maintain a good appearance around the license plate when the license plate lamp is off. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention is a vehicle comprising a license plate, a license plate lamp installed above the license plate to illuminate the license plate, and a camera installed above the license plate and to the side of the license plate lamp, wherein a light-blocking member is provided between the camera and the license plate lamp to block light emitted from the license plate lamp from entering the camera, and a drive device is provided to move the light-blocking member between a first state in which the light-blocking member does not block the emitted light and a second state in which the emitted light is blocked.

[0007] According to this configuration, if the light-blocking member is set to the second state when the license plate lamp is turned on, the light emitted from the license plate lamp will not enter the camera, so that whiteout will not occur in the image captured by the camera and the visibility of the captured image will be improved.

[0008] When the license plate lamp is turned off, the light blocking member is set to the first state. In this first state, for example, if the light blocking member is stored in an outer panel of the vehicle, the presence of the light blocking member becomes less noticeable, and the area around the license plate can be made to look good.

[0009] In the vehicle of the present invention, the license plate is installed at the rear end of the vehicle in the middle in the vehicle width direction, the license plate lamp is installed on the underside of a protruding portion that protrudes rearward above the installation area of ​​the license plate, and the light-shielding member is installed in a first state in which it is stored and hidden inside the protruding portion, and is preferably configured to be able to be configured to protrude below the protruding portion as needed in a second state.

[0010] According to this configuration, when the light blocking member is in the first state, the presence of the light blocking member becomes less noticeable, improving the appearance of the area around the license plate.

[0011] In other words, this configuration makes it possible to improve the visibility of the image captured by the camera when the license lamp is lit, while improving the appearance of the area around the license plate when the license lamp is off.

[0012] In addition, in the vehicle according to the present invention, it is preferable that the light blocking member is formed in a plate shape, and a part of the light blocking member is supported via a support shaft so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle.

[0013] Furthermore, the drive device can be configured to be controlled by a control device, and the control device can be configured to execute at least the following processes: a process of activating the camera when the vehicle's shift position is in the reverse range; a process of turning on the headlights, taillights, and license plate lamp or turning on the small lamps, taillights, and license plate lamp depending on the detection results of an automatic light control sensor equipped on the vehicle when the light control switch equipped on the vehicle is in the auto position; and a process of turning on the light-blocking member in the second state when the license plate lamp is lit.

[0014] Furthermore, the control device can be configured to include a first judgment unit (corresponding to step S1 in Figure 3) that determines whether the shift position is in the reverse range, a second judgment unit (corresponding to step S2 in Figure 3) that determines whether the light control switch is in the auto position if the first judgment unit makes a positive judgment, a third judgment unit (corresponding to step S3 in Figure 3) that determines whether the area around the vehicle is bright if the second judgment unit makes a positive judgment, a first execution unit (corresponding to step S4 in Figure 3) that sets the light-blocking member to the second state if the second judgment unit makes a negative judgment or if the third judgment unit makes a negative judgment, a fourth judgment unit (corresponding to step S5 in Figure 3) that determines whether the shift position is other than the reverse range after execution of the first execution unit, and a second execution unit (corresponding to step S6 in Figure 3) that sets the light-blocking member to the first state if the fourth judgment unit makes a positive judgment. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, for example, if the light-blocking member is set to the second state when the license plate lamp is turned on, the light emitted from the license plate lamp will not enter the camera, so that whiteout will not occur in the image captured by the camera and the visibility of the captured image will be improved.

[0016] Furthermore, according to the present invention, for example, when the license plate lamp is turned off, by setting the light-shielding member to the first state, for example, a state in which it is stored within the outer panel of the vehicle, it is possible to maintain a good appearance around the license plate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a rear camera and a license plate lamp near the license plate on the rear side of the vehicle. [Figure 2] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the movement of a light blocking member, in which FIG. 1A shows a first state of the light blocking member, and FIG. 1B shows a second state of the light blocking member. [Figure 3]FIG. 4 is a flowchart used to explain the operation of the control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0019] An embodiment of the present invention is shown in Figures 1 to 3. The vehicle shown in these figures includes a license plate 2, a license plate lamp 3, a camera 4, a light blocking member 5, a drive unit 6, and a control unit 7, as shown in Figure 2, for example.

[0020] The license plate 2 is installed midway between the rear outer panel 1 of the vehicle in the vehicle width direction. The installation surface 11 of the license plate 2 on the rear outer panel 1 is inclined so that the license plate 2 is in a forward-leaning position, and the license plate 2 is inclined to follow the installation surface 11.

[0021] The license plate lamp 3 is installed inside the protruding part 12 of the rear outer panel 1 above the license plate 2 so as not to protrude downward from the underside of the protruding part 12, and is installed so that the light emitted from this license plate lamp 3 illuminates the license plate 2.

[0022] The camera 4 is installed inside the protruding part 12 of the rear outer panel 1 above the license plate 2 so as not to protrude downward from the underside of the protruding part 12, and is installed to the side of the license plate lamp 3 so as to photograph the rear of the vehicle.

[0023] The light-blocking member 5 blocks light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 from entering the camera 4, and is provided in two locations within the protruding portion 12 of the rear outer panel 1: between the camera 4 and the license plate lamp 3, and on the opposite side of the camera 4 from the license plate lamp 3.

[0024] The protruding portion 12 refers to a portion of the rear outer panel 1 that protrudes rearward beyond the installation surface 11 on which the license plate 2 is installed.

[0025] This light-blocking member 5 is installed in a first state in which it is stored and hidden inside the protruding portion 12 of the rear outer panel 1, and can be moved to a second state in which it protrudes outward from the underside of the protruding portion 12 as needed.

[0026] Specifically, the light blocking member 5 is configured to be moved between the first state and the second state by a driving device 6 and a control device 7.

[0027] The first state is a state in which the light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 is not blocked by being stored and hidden inside the protrusion 12, as shown in Figure 2(a), and the second state is a state in which the light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 is blocked so as not to enter the camera 4 by protruding outward from the underside of the protrusion 12, as shown in Figure 2(b).

[0028] Specifically, the light blocking member 5 is formed in a plate shape and is supported so as to be rotatable by a predetermined angle via a support shaft 51. This support shaft 51 is fixed to the light blocking member 5, and although not shown in detail, the light blocking member 5 can rotate in both forward and reverse directions around the central axis of the support shaft 51 by the rotational power of the drive device 6.

[0029] The driving device 6 moves the light blocking member 5 between the first state and the second state, and although not shown in detail, includes, for example, a motor, a speed reduction mechanism, a driving circuit, and the like.

[0030] The control device 7 is made up of an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). Although not shown in detail, the ECU includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM (also called memory), a communication I / F, and an input / output I / F, which are communicably connected to each other via a bus.

[0031] This control device 7 executes at least the following processes: a process of activating the camera 4 when the shift position is set to the reverse range (R); a process of turning on the headlights (not shown), taillights (not shown), and license plate lamp 3 or turning on the small lamps (not shown), taillights, and license plate lamp 3 according to the detection results of an automatic light control sensor (not shown) equipped on the vehicle when a light control switch (not shown) equipped on the vehicle is set to the auto position; and a process of turning on the light-shielding member 5 in the second state when the license plate lamp 3 is lit.

[0032] The light control switch, automatic light control sensor, headlights, taillights, and small lamps are all installed in a vehicle. The light control switch can be set to one of three positions: auto position, headlight on position, or small lamp on position. The automatic light control sensor detects the degree of brightness around the vehicle.

[0033] Next, the operation of the control device 7 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

[0034] The control device 7 periodically starts the flow chart shown in Fig. 3. First, in step S1, it is determined whether the shift position is in the reverse range.

[0035] If the determination in step S1 is negative, the flow chart is terminated, whereas if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S2.

[0036] If the determination in step S1 is negative, that is, if the shift position is not in the reverse range, the camera 4 is not activated, so even if the license plate lamp 3 is illuminated, there is no adverse effect on the camera 4. For this reason, the flow chart is terminated.

[0037] Then, in step S2, it is determined whether or not the light control switch is in the automatic position.

[0038] If the determination in step S2 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S3, whereas if the determination is negative, the process proceeds to step S4.

[0039] First, in step S3, it is determined whether the surroundings of the vehicle are bright. Specifically, in step S3, it is determined whether the detection value of the automatic light control sensor is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold. If the determination is affirmative, it is determined that the surroundings of the vehicle are bright, whereas if the determination is negative, it is determined that the surroundings of the vehicle are dark. The threshold is set arbitrarily in advance.

[0040] If the determination in step S3 is affirmative, the flow chart is terminated, whereas if the determination is negative, the flow proceeds to step S4.

[0041] In step S4, the light blocking member is set to the second state. Specifically, in step S4, the light blocking member 5 in the first state shown in FIG. 2(a) is rotated by a predetermined angle in a clockwise direction around the central axis of the support shaft 51 by the driving device 6, thereby setting the light blocking member 5 in the second state shown in FIG. 2(b). In this second state, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the light blocking member 5 protrudes outward from the lower side of the overhanging portion 12, thereby blocking the light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 so as not to enter the camera 4.

[0042] Thereafter, in step S5, it is determined whether the shift position is other than the reverse range.

[0043] If the determination in step S5 is negative, the process returns to step S4, whereas if the determination is positive, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0044] In step S6, the light blocking member 5 is returned to the first state. Specifically, in step S6, the drive unit 6 rotates the light blocking member 5 from the second state shown in FIG. 2(b) by a predetermined angle counterclockwise around the central axis of the support shaft 51, thereby bringing the light blocking member 5 into the first state shown in FIG. 2(a). In this first state, as shown in FIG. 2(a), the light blocking member 5 is stored and hidden inside the protruding portion 12, making the presence of the light blocking member 5 less noticeable and not blocking the light emitted from the license plate lamp 3. After step S6, this flowchart ends.

[0045] As described above, according to the embodiment to which the present invention is applied, if the light blocking member 5 is set to the first state when the license plate lamp 3 is turned off, the light blocking member 5 is stored and hidden inside the protrusion 12, making the presence of the light blocking member 5 less noticeable and improving the appearance of the area around the license plate 2. On the other hand, if the light blocking member 5 is set to the second state when the license plate lamp 3 is turned on, the light emitted from the license plate lamp 3 does not enter the camera 4, preventing whiteout in the image captured by the camera 4 and improving visibility.

[0046] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, but can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims and the equivalents thereof.

[0047] (1) In the above embodiment, it is possible to eliminate the light blocking member 5 on the side of the camera 4 opposite the license plate lamp 3. Even in this case, the same effects and advantages as those of the above embodiment can be achieved.

[0048] (2) In the above embodiment, for example, although not shown, when a front camera is installed at the front end of the vehicle, it is possible to install a light-blocking member, such as that shown in Figure 2, between at least the headlights and parking lamps and the front camera.

[0049] In this case, too, the image captured by the front camera is not blown out, improving visibility, and it is possible to make the presence of the shading member less noticeable when the front headlights and parking lamps are turned off. [Industrial Applicability]

[0050] The present invention can be suitably used in vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 1 Rear outer panel of vehicle, 11 License plate mounting surface, 12 Protrusion, 2 License plate, 3 License plate lamp, 4 Camera, 5 Light blocking member, 51 Support shaft, 6 Drive unit, 7 Control unit

Claims

[Claim 1] A vehicle equipped with a license plate, a license plate lamp installed above the license plate so as to illuminate the license plate, and a camera installed above the license plate and to the side of the license plate lamp, a light blocking member is provided between the camera and the license plate lamp to block light emitted from the license plate lamp from entering the camera; A vehicle comprising a drive device for moving the light blocking member between a first state in which the light blocking member does not block the emitted light and a second state in which the light blocking member blocks the emitted light.

Images